District Attorney Dan Conley Announces Bid For Mayor

Add Conley's name to the growing list of candidates vying for Mayor Menino's office.

Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley thinks Boston is a â€śgreat cityâ€ť with the potential of becoming the most livable place in the country. Thatâ€™s why he wants to run it from City Hall.

On Wednesday, Conley officially threw his hat in the race for the mayor of Boston, just days after long-standing Mayor Tom Menino announced he would not seek another term in office, ending his 20-year reign in the city.

In a statement about his interest in the mayoral race, Conley says â€świth the right leadershipâ€ť Bostonâ€™s best days are still ahead.Â Conley said in a prepared statement issued Wednesday:

â€śTo make Boston the city we want it to be requires a mayor who can make tough decisions, even when they offend powerful interests and upset the status quo. Itâ€™s going to require a mayor who leads with integrity, for whom transparency is a way of doing business and not just a buzzword, and who will ensure that city government is responsive and accountable to the people it serves.â€ť

Conley says he wants to work with businesses and residents to help Boston reach its full potential, and make the area â€śa city defined not by old divisions and superficial differences but by our shared hopes and aspirations,â€ť adding he intends to put his heart, soul and â€śseveral pairs of shoesâ€ť into the campaign. (He may want to put a copy editor on that list, since in his press release, he announced he was for people who are â€śfixed on incomes,â€ť rather than â€śon fixed income.” Oops.)

Conleyâ€™s announcement puts him up against City Councilor John Connolly in a race that’s heating up quickly, with more anticipated announcements from potential candidates expected to come out.Â As Conley steps up to announce he is running for mayor, other potential candidates have also shied away from the race, however. State Senator Sonia Chang Diaz told reporters she â€śloves her jobâ€ť and has no plans to seek the top position in Boston.Â â€śDeep thanks to all of you who’ve reached out to me w/encouragement to run for [Boston mayor],â€ť Diaz said on Twitter Wednesday. â€śI’m honored by your support, even though this is not the right time for me and my family.â€ť